Thanks for the info. Just to note that the thread you linked to won't work anymore as a Mod kindly moved it to this forum & merged it with this thread so all the info is back in one place & accessible.

MattyK wrote:Toddlers and young kids have no preconceived ideas of good vs bad bikes, they will just get on and ride regardless of looks, quality, weight, etc. Almost any feature set requirement will be to pacify your own senses and desires, not theirs. So just pick your budget and go for it.

That is so true in relation to pretty much everything with kids.

MattyK wrote:PS subpoint about saddles: on a balance bike much more weight is borne on the saddle (due to the lack of pedals). And propulsion forces are quite different to a pedal bike (ie front to back, not top to bottom). So saddles should account for this, but few seem to, and most (on metal framed balance bikes) are bicycle styled which I'm not convinced is the best for forward propulsion and comfort. My daughter ended up complaining of a sore crotch after one long ride. Many of the wooden balance bikes use more of a wider spoon shape that I suspect may be better suited. I have no real evidence to back this up though, just conjecture...

Perhaps I should forget your earlier remarks & get the BMW

Thanks mikedufty & high_tea, it is sounding like kids love em all. Is it wrong that I am laughing with you about your boy high_tea ? I can imagine my little terrorist doing just that. He is so grabby with bikes I am even contemplating keeping my commuter clean so his hands don't get so filthy

MattyK wrote:Toddlers and young kids have no preconceived ideas of good vs bad bikes, they will just get on and ride regardless of looks, quality, weight, etc. Almost any feature set requirement will be to pacify your own senses and desires, not theirs. So just pick your budget and go for it.

What surprised me was how much use my kids got out of them, was really a primary means of transport for years, not just a toy. In that context I think having real tyres is quite an important feature. Some have toy like foam tyres, which they promote as being puncture free, but they are also grip-free and quite dangerous if going beyond the house.The JD bugs have a balance bike specific seat, shaped more like the top of a horse saddle than a bike saddle, no complaints from my kids in hours on them.

find_bruce wrote:Thanks mikedufty & high_tea, it is sounding like kids love em all. Is it wrong that I am laughing with you about your boy high_tea ? I can imagine my little terrorist doing just that. He is so grabby with bikes I am even contemplating keeping my commuter clean so his hands don't get so filthy

Not at all. I mentioned the TT rig in the hope that someone out there would get a chuckle!

ausdb wrote:Thanks Queequeg, wiggle dont seem to sell them anymore but still come up in google searches

I ended up ordering a cross with brake and lowering kit from 2ndcycle, as some of the pages on the firstbike site set off my antivirus!

Cheers for the 2ndcycle tip, how's your son finding his so far?

Looks like $219.95 delivered for the Racing, $20 cheaper than the official site. They don't call it by it's model name but I'm pretty sure this one: http://www.2ndcycle.com.au/firstbike-bi ... res-l2009/ is describing the "Racing"" model with the Schwalbe Big Apple tyres and hand brake:

Looking to get one of these for my daughter who turns 2 in April. She's quite tall (97th percentile) so I'm not sure if I'll need the lowering kit or not, need to take some measurements and suss it out. More excited about this than my own bikes.

The lowering kit is pretty basic. It moves the rear wheel axle about 4cm higher, thus lowering the bike. It is just a pair of brackets that attach to the existing axle mounts.I'd say get the kit, because it very much depends on the length of your child's inseam measurement, not on their total height. You can leave the lowering kit on until they subsequently outgrow the upper limit of the seat adjustment.

I don't suppose anyone has a phone number for 2nd Cycle? There website has been down for a week or 2 and I'm not sure if they've gone out of business. There price was a bit cheaper than ordering direct from FirstBike.com.au Daughter's birthday is April 16th, hope I haven't left my run too late.=]

As far as I can tell 2nd Cycle is no more. Ordered via the official FirstBike page instead which is serviced by Dirt Works. Can't say enough good things about the them. Made a few enquiries before purchase and always received a prompt response. Great communication all round, even got a phone call from them to confirm what I wanted to do about the basket because the color I wanted was on back order and they knew I wanted the bike in time for my daughters birthday.

So big ups to FirstBike & Dirt Works, very happy customer here. And the bike itself is awesome!

I got my son one of these about 4 years ago and he loved it. He was riding a real bike without training wheels before his 3rd birthday if memory serves me correctly.

I paid about double the price of the one's linked above I think but these are identical as far as I can tell from the pictures.

Highly recommend them.

T.

+1. I paid $39.99 IIRC. Use threadlocker if you have some when you put it together. Have had a few bolts come loose. He only started riding it abut 4 weeks ago, preferred his scooter, but he really has the hang of it now so I bought his first bike last night. Hopefully that will make a nice birthday surprise in a couple of weeks .

Tip: Take your kid to a park where other kids are riding around. They learn far more from watching/playing with other kids, particularly friends, than parents could ever teach them. Was quite amazing watching him analyze what the other kids were doing.

My Grandson Max on his Christmas present. When they come to visit he see the bike and says bike bike bike and wants to ride it. His feet don't touch the ground yet but give him a few months. He is 17 months old in this picture.